Second Half
by Lillian J Potter
Summary: Harry has stayed at the Dursleys for the last time. Now at Order HQ, he plans on setting out on a mission to destroy evil once and for all. Then some unexpected information changes his life once and forever. He has a sister, and she's about to wreak havoc
1. Second Half

Harry and Ron tipp toed down the stairs of number 12 Grimauld Place. The Order had just called a special meeting. All the adult members of the Order had flocked to headquarters while Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley children were herded into their bedrooms. Bringing the girls along would cause too much noise, so the boys had set out alone, determined not to miss out on any important news.

Reaching the top of the stairs just above the entry, they grabbed their extendable ears (Fred and George were flourishing), aimed, and let loose. Professor McGonagall was speaking:

"Professor Dumble found the child. I happened upon the papers while examining his former office for anything that might give the Order away to the next headmaster. She resides in New Hampshire with her adoptive parents and one sister."

"So we can tell Harry now?" The voice of Mrs. Weasley was particularly squeaky, a sure sign that she was excited and eager.

"I am afraid not, Molly," Mrs. Weasley let out a hiss of disappointment and anger. "You must understand, Miss Potter has never consciously used her magic, only in dire circumstances. It is for her safety that we must not tell Harry. He never fully mastered his Occlumency, and should the Dark Lord Voldemort decide to attack his mind he and discover the existence of his twin sister, the outcome would be devastating, not to mention terrifying for the girl."

Lupin cut in, sounding quite confused.

"How is it possible that she has never used her magic? She's sixteen years old!"

When McGonagall answered, Harry could hear the smile in her voice.

"Like all other strong wizards and witches who have been deprived of their magic. Through creating art. Miss Potter is the newest sensation in the muggle world since the days of a wizard named Pablo Picasso. Completely unknown in the wizarding world, but muggles thought he was a genius. Miss Potter's reputation is growing very quickly in fact. I have been thinking of purchasing some of her work to display at Hogwarts. It is quite stunning."

A few people coughed, obviously not at ease. Harry could feel Ron's eyes boring into him, but pointedly ignored this. McGonagall, in the meantime, to a leaf out of Dumbledore's book and continued to speak as though she had heard nothing.

"… Guards shall be posted with Miss Potter and members of her family, as it is our duty to protect her. It is by my inattentiveness that the poor child is in this situation, at the very least I can protect her. Now perhaps we should move on to less important matters…."

Harry tugged at the end of his extendable ear and turned around to find Ron starring at him, transparent beneath his freckles and wide eyed. Before Ron could utter a single word Harry cut him off.

"Don't tell anyone – even Hermione – what we just heard, ok? I need to think about it." Harry turned and ran as silently as possible up the stairs, slipping inside the room he and Ron shared. It had been an interesting evening.

Harry lay in bed, thinking over everything he had just heard. How was it possible? Dumbledore had said that Harry had no living family left. Was it possible that he had been mistaken? Suddenly, Harry recalled something the Headmaster had once told him…. 'Even the greatest men make mistakes…. Often when they do, their mistakes are greater and more dangerous…..' At least Harry thought that was what Dumbledore had said. Maybe Dumbledore had made a mistake? Maybe he had overlooked a single survivor of Voldemort's attack? Maybe Harry really did have a sister?

Sleep fell upon Harry, step in step with a strong determination. It proceeded to fill his veins, pulsing through him in a steady beat of happiness. He was no longer alone.

Breakfast that morning went as normal, although Ron looked as if he was going to be sick every time he came across Harry. By the time Harry had finished (Mrs. Weasley insisted on giving him seconds) the kitchen was quite full. As soon as Mrs. Weasley had whisked away Harry's plate, he pulled himself together and asked.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley, but would it be possible for me to talk to Minerva?" The kitchen went quiet. Mad Eye Moody continued talking to Lupin, but his eye swirled, coming to a halt on Harry.

"Why would you want that, dear?" Mrs. Weasley's voice was now trembling a little.

"I'd like to talk to her about the rumors in the Daily Prophet. They're saying that I have a sister, and I thought she could put them right."

It was a careful lie, and one nobody would suspect it, because nobody read the Daily Prophet after the lies it had told about Harry in the past two years.

Silence filled the room. Every eye was fixed on him. What seemed like eternity passed, and then, finally, came the answer.

"You may ask me anything you wish, Harry." Minerva McGonagall stood in the doorway, regret and knowing in her eyes. "If you, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger would follow me outside, I would be honored to answer any queries that you have."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said before anyone could pose otherwise. Shooting a meaningful glance at Ron and Hermione he strode out of the room.


	2. Businiss

2 – Business

Lily sank into a luxurious armchair. She still couldn't believe that this was happening. Two months ago no-one had ever heard of her. Now she was the most wanted artist in Europe. Now here she was at the house of some rich headmaster, parents in tow. She couldn't help but wonder if it would have been this way if her first parents hadn't been killed. Maybe none of this would have even happened. Maybe she would have been a normal kid in a happy family…..

A woman arrived at the door to the antechamber they were in. She wore a neat black dress and oval spectacles. Her shoes were black in color and looked as if they were made of wood. The woman's hair was in the tightest bun Lily had ever seen. It looked as if she hadn't let her hair down since the beginning of time. Silently Lily promised herself that she would never set foot inside a school governed by such a prim woman. At the same time she realized that this was Miss McGonagall, the one who was interested in her art. Lily plastered a customer smile onto her face, making sure her true feelings didn't leak through in any way. She rose out of the armchair and stretched out her hand. Behind her she felt her parents do the same.

'Hi, my name is Lily Potter. May I present my mother and father, Kylie and Jake Smith?' Lily spoke in an extra polite voice. McGonagall ignored her hand and merely raised an eyebrow at her parents' last names, but Lily ignored her and continued to speak.

'I understand you are interested in purchasing some of my works to display in your school?' she asked. The woman surveyed her for a minute before answering.

'Yes, I am. But first, would you care for tea? I am eager to know more about the best artist since Pablo Picasso. Let us retire to the rumpus room!' With that she turned on her heels. After shooting an exaggerated look at her mom and dad Lily followed.

The rumpus room was elegant and large. Every spare centimeter of wall space was covered by paintings. One painting in particular caught Lily's eye. Just above an ancient fireplace hung a painting she was positive was a Picasso. Hadn't the woman said something about being fond of him? Her mom nudged her from behind, signaling her to keep going. Lily blushed and followed their hostess.

McGonagall led them to a high coffee table with four teacups on it. She motioned for them to sit while she filled each cup to the brim. Lily's parents were having a silent conversation while Lily herself turned and stared at the painting above the fireplace. She was enthralled by it. A hand on her shoulder made her jump. McGonagall's eyes were intent on her.

'Do you like it?' The old woman's request surprised her even more.

'Y – y – yes, I do,' she said. 'I like it very much.' There was something _really_ strange about this woman. McGonagall nodded.

'I thought you would. It's a Monet. I have a Picasso in the upstairs hallway. My nephew is here today, perhaps he could show you?' Lily looked at her mom and dad to see if this was alright with them. At her mothers nod of approval she forgot all her feelings about the woman and sprang to her feet. Again McGonagall nodded.

'Harry!' she called as a black haired boy the same age as Lily entered the room, 'I would like you to meet Miss Lily Potter.'

The boy – Harry – was about the same age as Lily. He had messy black hair and green eyes exactly the same as hers. On his forehead was a lightning bolt scar. Lily thought that he was somehow familiar. He eyed her cautiously, his eyes then holding hers. She gave him the most annoyed look she knew. McGonagall proceeded as if she hadn't noticed this little exchange.

'I would like you to show Miss Potter the Picasso painting in the upstairs hallway.' Harry nodded and held the door open for her. She passed by him as if he didn't exist. Before Harry could follow McGonagall added, 'And be polite!' Again Harry nodded and walked out after his sister.

She walked out of the door feeling confused. She was somehow sure that she had met this boy before, only she couldn't figure out where. McGonagall had said that he was her nephew. Maybe he was an orphan that she had met while she was in the orphanage when she was little. He came into the hallway and smiled.

'Hi, I'm Harry,' he said, holding out his hand. She eyed it and held out hers.

'I'm Lily,' Just then, as their fingertips touched, Lily felt a jolt go up her arm. There was a flash of green light and a scream, then, just as suddenly, she found herself back by the stairs with the boy named Harry. He was staring at her, having obviously completely forgotten about showing her the painting. She returned his look, then rolled her eyes.

'Weren't you going to show me a painting?' she reminded him. She smiled as he realized he was stalling, apologized, and fled up the stairs, blushing. i\ _Not to bad, considering his aunt /i _, she thought.

Downstairs McGonagall was explaining herself to Lily's adoptive parents. As quickly as possible she explained about the Dark Lord, the death of Lily's parents, and Harry. She performed a levitation spell, a summoning spell, and transformed the table into a rock slab. Finally they were convinced. It was the woman, Kylie, who spoke first.

'What do we do? She's still our daughter, you know.' Tears filled her eyes and she pulled out a tissue to dab them away.

McGonagall nodded to herself as much as to the couple sitting before her.

'You, Harry and I will tell her the truth. We can only hope that she doesn't react to harshly. Hope.'

---

i\ Author: About to get interesting! It's quite difficult to put the stuff in your head into words, it's almost never exactly right. Oh, well, I doing my best and I hope that you like it! Please read and review, it's really appreciated! /i 


	3. A Magic Night of Horror

b 3. A Magic Night of Horror /b 

'No.' Lily thumped down onto the couch at home and put on her most stubborn face.

'You really believe them? What makes you think they're telling the truth? You're actually telling me you believe in magic? Yeah, right!'

Her parents sat opposite her, wincing at her every word. It was going to be hard work convincing their daughter. Glancing at each other, they silently decided to let Lily's mother do the talking.

'Lily, darling, just listen to us for one second. Imagine, just for one moment, that magic really does exist. I remember when you were little how you used to believe in magic…'

'Yeah, until you had the talk with me. The "there's no magic" talk? So how come now you're telling me magic i is /i really?' Lily's mother look as if she might break down and cry at any moment. Lily's dad decided it was time to intervene.

'We were scared, sweetheart,' he said in one long sigh. 'I don't think that you can remember, but when you were still in diapers some very strange things would happen around you.'

'For example, one time your mother and I walked into your bedroom to tuck you in, and we found you floating over your crib with all your favorite toys swirling around you. Another time we wouldn't give you your teddy because you had been bad and cut off his tail, and you simply held out your arm and teddy soared through the air to get to you.'

'We were scared, darling, that there was something wrong with you. Then mom signed you up for drawing classes and all the strange things stopped. It was a miracle. We were so happy. And then we told you the truth, about how we adopted you, and it happened again, just once. The moment you slammed into your room the fireplace blew up.' Her dad drew in a deep breath, and looked closely at his daughter. She sat stock still on the couch, her back straight as a board and her face as white as snow. Gingerly, she looked up into his eyes.

'Magic?' Lily asked in a mortified whisper as a hooded figure entered the living room.

--

Lord Voldemort looked down upon Lucius Malfoy. Deep inside himself he felt a cold shiver of excitement about the horrors he had planned for tonight, but he let none of this show on his face. His servant also shivered, of the cold and damp of the dungeon rather than excitement. Malfoy had come for some last instructions for the attack.

'I have come, My Lord.'

'Yes, you have Lucius, you have. You very well know the fate that would befall you if you did not, don't you?' Malfoy stiffened, expecting torture at his master's words, but none came.

'You have come for your last instructions for tonight's events, have you not? Very well, come close, and listen well, or my mercy might just run out.'

--

Minerva McGonagall sat down with Harry Potter, handing him the photo she had taken from Lily's parents.

'This is your sister. Her parents will tell her tonight about her magic and her heritage,' she told him. Harry studied the photo. His sister was beautiful. She looked exactly like their mother, but for her hazel eyes and dark brown hair. She was happy, laughing at the camera. Vaguely, he wondered if he had done the right thing in bringing her into the wizarding world. He brushed back all his whispering doubts, and focused instead on the headmaster. Dumbledore had been more open with him, but there was nothing he could do about that.

'I would like to go and meet her tonight, with the others,' he said. It wasn't a question, and he wasn't asking for her permission. He had decided that he was going to meet his twin, and he wasn't going to put it. His determination must have shown through his eyes, because Minerva McGonagall did not try to stop him.

'Go on, Harry,' she sighed with exhaustion. She stood to leave the room, before remembering something else. 'Watch out. This is the night Voldemort would probably attack her. The address is 13 Golden Crescent. Good luck.'

As Harry stepped into the green flames of McGonagall's fireplace, some part of his mind whispered that he would need all the luck he could get.

--

He came out of a fireplace, but it was not his sister's. A group of wizards and witches was already assembled there, among them Remus Lupin. Some people were whispering while others checked for their wands. Something was clearly wrong.

Lupin saw Harry and walked over. Confusion was written deep in his eyes, and he walked over to Harry as if the younger boy would have the answers. Harry ignored his friend and went over to the door.

i 'Alohamora!' /i 

The door turned to dust, as the disembodied, chilling, high voice Harry knew so well whispered,

'Just in time for the show, Potter… Enjoy!'

--

Panic erupted at the sound of the Dark Lord's voice. Remus Lupin yelled at Harry to wait for him as the wizards and witches inside the room ran out of the house in search for Lily Potter. Reluctantly, Harry obliged. Something was nagging him. For some reason he had to go on to Lily as fast as possible. Something horrible was about to happen he could feel it. Lupin caught up and Harry continued walking.

'Where's number 13 Golden Crescent?' he asked. Before Lupin could answer a scream pierced the air. At the same time as Harry's scar erupted into pain more terrible than ever before. He turned and ran towards the scream. Lily was in pain, he could feel her soul disintegrating. Lupin yelled at him to stop, but nothing mattered more than getting there. He rushed towards the scream, and then into the house from which it had come.

Lily was standing in front of and overturned couch. On the floor lay the man Harry knew to be her adoptive father. Harry could tell he had been protecting his wife and daughter. In front of the man's corpse stood the hooded figure of a Death Eater. Now Lily and her adoptive mother stood huddled together, holding each other in their arms.

Arms grabbed Harry from behind. He fought them, trying to end the horror he now saw, but they were too strong for him. The hooded figure held up its wand and pointed it at Mrs. Smith.

i 'Avada Kedavera,' /i it hissed.

As Lily screamed out in pain and horror the hands that held him let go. Harry rushed forwards and caught his sister a moment before they both blacked out.

--

i Author: I have to apologize about updating so slowly. Excuses aren't very good, but here's mine anyway. Firstly, I have been on holiday for a while with my mom and dad. Secondly, as the end of the Australian school year approaches, I am being faced with a succession of huge exams and test, one after the other.

Things have been a bit hectic, but here it is, chapter three. Finally, the action has started, and Lilly has been thrust head first into the wizarding world.

Thank you so much for reading my fic, and please review! It only takes a few seconds, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it! I purposefully won't update until I get about five reviews, so please do!

Love,

Lillian Potter /i 


	4. Remembering

b Chapter 4 - Remembering /b 

Lily fell through a nameless darkness. Her arms grasped for something to hold on to, anything, but there was nothing there to grab; down she fell, into a bottomless pit of hopelessness and fear. She tried to concentrate on what had happened. Everything was happening in a blur; how was she supposed to tell reality from dream? Now the part of her mind that normally hid now came out and whispered that she i had /i to remember what had happened. Otherwise she would never get out of this place, wherever that was. Concentrating, she sifted her memories, searching for the right answers.

i Her parents had told her she had powers. Magic, they had said. Lily had argued at first, but slowly she began to agree. Everything had been going fine. What had gone wrong?

/i Biting her lip to focus, Lily kept going through her memory, knowing this would hurt. i 

Her mom and dad had been relieved that she had taken in this information. Then they had started to tell her something about a brother. /i You have a twin brother, i they had said. /i His name is Harry Potter. You'll have to go to school with him. We're sure you'll love him Lilly, dear, don't wory i They had been about to tell her about some sort of magical boarding school when the front door had blown up. A dozen people dressed in black fabric and wearing masks came into the room, smashing her mothers prized vases as they did. Her mom and dad had stepped in front of her to protect her. And then, something that would haunt Lilly for the rest of her life: a high, maniacal laughter followed by a terrifying voice that said, /i 'Kill him' i …

/i It was all coming back to her now. Tears spilt down her cheeks. She promised herself that she would hunt down the speaker, and her fathers murderer, and she would kill them. Her father had been innocent, protecting his family. Why would someone want to hurt them?

The rest of the night rushed to get to her, and her mothers murder, the boy Harry, and the snake slithering out of the door rushed past her in a blur as she started to ascend towards consciousness.

--

Harry felt somebody shaking him and calling his name. He blinked and tried to sit up. He was in bed, in what he recognized as Ron's room at the Burrow. Directly above him stood a worried looking Mrs. Weasly and an equally worried Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. The events of the night dawned on him, and he sat up in a hurry.

'Where's Lilly? What happened? We were attacked – i he /i knew!' Harry looked into his friends' eyes, pleading for them to tell him. 'Please, Mrs. Weasly, what happened? Did Voldemort really -'

It was Hermione who answered his question at long last. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke, and then Harry knew it had all been real. Voldemort had destroyed yet another person's life.

'She's at St. Mungo's, Harry. We don't know what happened, but she's in some sort of trance,' she said before continuing in a shaky voice. 'She wasn't even breathing at first. When Professor Lupin found you, he thought you were both dead. B-b-but th-then w-we checked her p-pulse a-and w-we realized she was st-still alive.' Hermione was now openly crying, talking and sobbing at the same time. Ron seemed to think it was time for a change of subject.

'She'll be ok, mate. We'll go visit her, but let's eat something first, ok?' he said casually. At that moment Harry was more grateful to his friends than ever before. They would help, no matter how bad things got. He gave them a sad smile.

'Ok.'

--

Harry sat next to the hospital bed, gazing at his sister in a sad sort of way. She had been this way for three days now, and still she didn't look as though she was breathing. With a sigh, Harry began the all-too-familiar game of describe-the-room-with-your-eyes-closed. There was a hospital bed in the middle of the room, upon which his sister lay in a motionless self-induced slumber. Beside it was the chair he sat in. A shelf ran around three of the walls; every square inch of it was covered with flowers, teddy bears, get well cards and sweets. On her bedside table was a photo of her and her parents: they were all happy, hugging each other with huge smiles. Beside it lay a copy to the i Daily Prophet /i . The headline screamed: b Harry Potters Twin Sister: Exclusive Interviews With Neighbours and Friends /b 

Outside the door were two thugs, as Ron had described them, sent by the Ministry for their protection. Yet Harry knew that life had been destroyed for his sister. He felt under his skin, in his veins, and in his heart; a terrible sadness that was the reason Lilly wouldn't wake up. Lilly had given up on life. She had lost everything, and now she lay here, an inch from death but still alive.

Harry opened his eyes and sighed again. He was sighing a lot lately, he noticed. Exhausted from hours of worry, he lowered his head gingerly into his hand, the one that held his sisters. About to fall asleep, Harry woke with a start was one of Lily's fingers twitched. He sat up with a hurry and looked at her face. Her eyes began to twitch. With a gasp for air, Lilly Potter opened her eyes and came back to the realm of life.

--

i Author's Note: I find it a really terrifying experience to be writing this fic. I am working in JKs universe, and if I don't do it justice, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life… I found this chapter particularly difficult to write, as there were so many ways Lilly could handle her parents' deaths… I hope you enjoyed it, and from now on I promise that it will get happier, funnier and generally much less depressing.

I have decided that I am going to be stubborn and not update until I get at least five reviews on this chapter! I hope you take some time to comment, as I really appreciate it!

'Till next time,

Lilly Potter /i 


	5. Ch 5 Exploration

Summary: Lily decides to finally come out of seclusion. But whilst exploring Grimauld Place she comes across some discussions not meant for her ears…

---

c i I have realized that not once have I included a disclaimer in my story, so to any lawyers out there, here it is:

b Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and all it's contents belong to Ms. JK Rowling. This story is mine, but I have borrowed a world of magic that belongs to her genius only. /b /i 

b i Chapter 5. – To Wake and to Move On /i /b /c 

Lily rolled over in her bed and stared at the ceiling. It was in the middle of the night and, once again, she couldn't go to sleep. The same terrifying scene kept replaying itself in her mind; the flash of green light, her father's collapsing body, her mother's screams of anguish. It didn't feel real to her. This wasn't her life anymore. Lily had turned into a puppet whose strings were being suavely pulled and manipulated. She was being protected by people she had never met. She was forbidden to leave this place, (Grim Mould Place or something like that) by still stranger strangers. The future was indeed looking grim.

Lily did not go exploring her prison. When she had ventured outside the bedroom she had been given she was accosted her supposed twin brother, Harry Potter, and his crones, an eccentric looking teen with orange hair and a busy girl who always had her nose in some book. Lily wanted to avoid them as much as possible, and since the bedroom was the only place they i didn't /i follow her, this was where she had spent every single minute of her despair. i Wallowing in it, more like /i whispered the traitor voice in the back of her brain.

Today, as Lily lay staring at the black ceiling above her bed, she came to a forceful decision. She was not going to lie here like a sack of potatoes any longer. She was going to go out there and kill the man who had murdered her parents. She i would /i learn magic, like her mom and dad had asked her to. Then she would go out there, and she would make it as painful as she could.

Lily sat up, and looked at the wardrobe at the end of the room. Walking to it, she looked inside and found that somebody had been to her home, taken her clothes and brought them here. For the first time in days, Lily got out of her pajamas. Pulling on her dirtiest, darkest clothes she turned around to face the door. She didn't think that anybody would make out her dark clothed body from the black walls of the place. If she kept her face down she would be able to explore it without interruption from her nosy brother and his strange friends. Opening the door a crack she looked out into an empty hallway.

Deciding that it would be best to avoid any sleep walkers that might be lingering around an entrance somewhere on the ground floor, Lily decided that it would be best to go up the stairs at the end of the hall. She took a step towards the stairway, and winced as she was confronted by a tremendous squeak from the board beneath her feet. Freezing where she stood, she strained her hearing to see if anybody had heard. After a moment of silence, she stepped carefully of the spot, removed her shoes, and walked gingerly towards the wall. She then began to walk on her heels, the back of her feet against the wall. It was difficult but it worked. Dismissing the problem of noise, Lily turned her thoughts to exploring the house.

c --- /c 

The place was a dump. After half an hour of looking around, Lily could not imagine a more moldy and dusty place on the entire planet. The place was falling apart; it was amazing the roof hadn't caved in by now. In some rooms you could find evil looking skulls and weapons; in others it looked as if someone had tried to clean up and failed miserably.

Lily sifted through the rooms one by one, floor by floor, working her way up through the house. On the second floor after her own she heard voices. She made to walk quietly past the room, but her curiosity got the better of her. She stopped next to the door, and strained to listen. It was the boy Harry, probably speaking to his two friends. About to move on, Lily heard her name and stopped. Standing more still than ever before, she listened to what her brother was saying about her. A girl asked something; it was probably the bushy haired girl she had seen before.

'Have you two wondered how Voldemort knew about Lily?' she was saying. Lily's brother and the other boy didn't say anything, so she supposed that had nodded or shaken their heads. The girl continued to speak.

'I mean, even Professor Dumbledore didn't i really /i know about her, did he? So how come Voldemort knew?' After a short silence, Harry answered her.

'It might've been because of my bad occlumency. He might have felt it,' he intoned.

Another bout of silence followed his words. Outside the door, Lily was getting confused. Who was Voldermort, and what on i earth /i was occlumency meant to be? Keen to learn more, she silenced her thoughts and listened once again. The girl spoke next.

'It might not have been just you, Harry,' she said slowly, as if she was contemplating some tricky school task. 'What if it was something i she /i felt, and then i Voldemort /i felt through i your /i connection with him? I mean, it i is /i possible, isn't it?'

Lily waited for an answer to this statement, but just as it sounded as if her brother was about to say something, another boy's voice cut in.

'When is she going to come out of that room?' it said, and Lily decided that it was the red headed boy. Unlike all of the previous statements, Lily did not have to wait long for the next person to speak. This time, when the girl spoke, she sounded much more like the bookworm Lily imagined her to be.

'Really, Ron, you are so daft! She's just lost her parents, for i gods /i sake!'

'Yeah, and locking herself up will do her a lot of good!' was the angry retort.

'What would you do? Something drastic, now that I think of it…'

They continued to bicker as her brother remained in silence. Lily slowly fell back into her own thoughts to think over all she had heard. All at once, there was a loud i crack /i behind her, and then someone tapped her on the shoulder…

---

i Author's Note:

This was a really difficult chapter to write, as I had virtually no idea how to bring Lily back into the world. I have realized that never before have I included a disclaimer, so I made sure to add that at the beginning.

I ended up deciding on making Lily feel closer to Harry, Ron and Hermione, and used that to bring the latter two back into the story, as it is dismal without them. I also just realized that I have left my first cliffy, which should be fun…

I hope you all had a happy New Years, and please remember to jot down something in the reviews.

Love,

Lily Potter


	6. Ch 6 Friends

center 

b Ch. 6. – Friends the hard way. /b 

/center 

b Disclaimer: Only the characters I invented are mine. Everything else belongs to the genius of Ms. JK Rowling. /b center 

/center 

Lily turned and found her Harry Potter standing in front of her. She gave a rueful smile and tried to think of an excuse for her eavesdropping, but before she could do either, her brother smiled back her in an amused sort of way and shook his head. Just as his friends started yelling at each other, he inclined his head towards the stairway, and Lily followed obligingly.

At the bottom of the stairs, Harry said 'So, how's it been?' casually. Lily was not fooled. Her brother's face had almost turned into concrete, he was a pale white, and his eyes (the very same emerald greed she admired in her own) put her on the end of the most piercing stare she had ever received. The person she had been avoiding so diligently was concerned for her. Lily gave him a sweet smile in return and gazed at him. If her i brother /i wanted to talk to her, then he had to talk first and answer her questions. Then maybe she would return the favor.

Harry cleared his throat most uncomfortably. After a short wait for her answer he spoke again.

'So you heard us talking?' Lily simply nodded in reply. How could she have not heard the bickering? Once more silence filled the room and this time, Harry didn't break it. In the end, Lily decided that her curiosity couldn't wait anymore.

'Who is Dumbledore? Who is Voldemort? Who on i earth /i named those people anyways? And why won't i anybody /i tell me what freak murdered my parents? Where i is /i this place? How come I'm not allowed to leave? Can you i really /i do magic? Can i I /i really do magic?' Lily's questions shoved each other out of her mouth. Feeling annoyed with herself, she decided to take it out on the boy before her and proceeded to glower at him as best she could. If one more person refused to give answers, there would be some more murders soon…

It seemed that her brother realized this. He swallowed, took a deep breath, looked at her and immediately withered under her look. After another second of hesitation, Harry decided not to push his luck and started explaining.

'Ok. Calm down. i Stop /i looking at me like that, it's scary. Fine,' Harry Potter sighed and took an even larger breath than before. 'Ok. Dumbledore is - i was /i - the greatest wizard ever. Voldemort is the most i evil /i wizard to ever walk the planet. Dumbledore …' Harry choked at this point. Nevertheless, Lily wanted answers, and she wanted them b now /b . 

'Dumbledore … i what? /i ' She shook her head, prompting him.

'He died, ok? i Voldemort /i killed him, like he's killed anybody who's wanted to protect me, like he'll do to anybody who'll want to keep i you /i safe!' Her brother fumed, and then realized she was still in the room, gaping a him.

'What?' Lily whispered, although she felt she would have happily screamed at the boy right now.

'I'm sorry. But it's true. He's an evil murderer who like's killing of anybody connected with our family,' her brother said, 'especially me.'

'So are they?' Lily whispered, still not having found her voice, and pointed at the ceiling. Harry knew who she meant. He smiled in relief.

'That's my friends. Ron and Hermione. They can't wait to meet you.'

'Oh.' Lily was lost for words. A psychotic madman had murdered her mom and dad because of i her /i . Everyone she would be friends with would be in danger of the same horrible death. She swallowed hard, and fought hard not to tremble. Her brother seemed to have picked up on her line of thought, as he abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

'No.'

'What?'

'No, it's i not /i your fault. It's Voldemort's fault, and he's the one responsible. Not you. Understand?' Lily gazed at the wall behind his back. She could not bring herself to speak.

'I'll come down for dinner today.' Lily left the room and her brother behind, and Harry ran upstairs to tell his friends the news.

center /center

Lily found herself lying, yet again, on her back on the bed in the filthy bedroom. i Why would someone I've /i never i done /i anything i to want to kill me? Why? Why? /i The thought repeated itself over and over again, but tears did no leak from her eyes. Deep inside herself, she made a vow, to stop this person. Never again would someone die at the hands of this murderer if she had anything to say about it.

With that settled, Lily got up to find some clothes clean enough to be seen in. She thrust open the doors to the wardrobe, a new self, and a new meaning and a new life.

center /center i 

Well, that's another chapter out of the way. The summer holidays are about to end, - ok, in three weeks – so soon I'll be back to studying. As ninth grade in Canberra means a HUGE project, so from February 7, updating might get a bit slow (I'd say about once 1 – 2 weeks).

I found this quite strange to write. How are you supposed to bring such a stubborn character out of a mourning trance? I hope I did faith to myself, but do let me know what you think of my story. How do you like so far? What can I improve? What do you think I should include?

This was a short chapter, (how are you meant to make stuff longer when all the information and narration is already there and you're perfectly happy with it?),but it gets MUCH longer from here on, don't worry!

Love,

Lily


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